Developer Cuts Back Plans For Brickell Tower

Written by Risa Polansky on May 17, 2007

By Risa Polansky
In an attempt to warm up residents and officials after being denied a major use special permit by the City of Miami’s planning advisory board in March, the developer of a proposed high-density tower in Brickell is reducing the project’s size.

Nickel Goeseke of Cervera Real Estate said the 56-story Columbus Centre tower planned for Southwest 15th Road and South Miami Avenue, where there are no height restrictions, has been reduced to 50 stories.

The residential, retail and hotel project drew criticism from area residents, the planning advisory board and the district’s city commissioner for being out of scale with the surrounding area, disruptive to the nearby Simpson Park and overpowering to adjacent residential neighborhoods.

In addition to cutting six stories from plans, Mr. Goeseke said, Cervera no longer will ask for a 5% square-footage bonus requested in the original proposal.

He expects the $490 million project to appear on the city commission agenda for its May 24 meeting and was to present the less-dense, greener project to residents early this week.

"We are trying to keep the door open and have dialogue with the neighbors," Mr. Goeseke said. "We’re trying to do whatever we can to make it a better building."

To comply with Miami 21, Miami’s proposed new zoning code, the project would be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards following the mayor and commission’s recent efforts to green the city, Mr. Goeseke said.

Formerly stucco walls are now designed to have "landscaping growing up the building to have it reflect the park," Mr. Goeseke said. "We’ll try whatever we can in order to gain support from the neighbors and then to get support from the commission."